The gambling industry is on high alert as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks escalate, with Cloudflare signaling that the final months of the year could be particularly perilous for gambling entities. Cloudflare’s insights suggest a surge in such cyber assaults, with the third quarter witnessing a higher number of attacks on gambling companies compared to their cryptocurrency counterparts. These assaults typically aim at HTTP internet infrastructure, leading to significant disruptions in business operations.
Cloudflare’s report serves as a stark warning, revealing a staggering 8.9 trillion HTTP DDoS requests blocked in just the third quarter, marking a 65% increase from the previous quarter. Notably, gambling companies were the target of 5% of these attacks.
The rise in attacks is attributed to advancements in botting technology, which enable attackers to launch more frequent and powerful attacks. In an alarming revelation, Cloudflare’s own network was hit by a substantial botnet DDoS onslaught in August.
The data shows a concerning trend where a large portion of these attacks, particularly 36% of L3/4 DDoS attacks, originate from the United States. Germany and the United Kingdom follow, being the source of 8% and 5% of the attacks, respectively.
Despite a large number of attacks coming from the US, Germany, and the UK, the threat is global. In Europe, the gambling sector is the primary focus for cyberattacks, while it ranks as the second and third most targeted industry in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. North America and Oceania are the only regions where gambling does not top the list of cybercriminal activities.
The tangible impact of these cyber threats was underscored by recent attacks on prominent gambling companies. Stake.com, a crypto gaming platform, faced a severe attack resulting in losses of millions in cryptocurrencies. In the United States, MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment were also hit, with Caesars reportedly paying a ransom, while MGM Resorts had to shut down critical systems temporarily.
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